


Spring Flower

by MorinoAthame



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, White Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-04-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 22:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1528163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorinoAthame/pseuds/MorinoAthame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ibiki's late getting home, and he's more than a little concerned about his lover reaction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spring Flower

**Author's Note:**

> An old work I did for a fic exchange several years ago.

Ibiki silently opened the door to his home and hesitantly glanced around and listened. Anyone who saw this behavior would be shocked to realize he, Morino Ibiki - Head of ANBU Torture and Interrogation, appeared to almost be apprehensive about going into his own home. More startling was the fact he actually _was_.

Kakashi had offered to go with him, but Ibiki knew that was only because Kakashi was certain he'd decline. He had to. Genma had bestowed on him a rather final sounding farewell, before Tenzou smacked the blond man over the head. Anko had cheekily asked if he'd ever recommended a replacement. He'd simply told them all to go to hell then he'd headed home. Any bravado he'd had upon leaving them drained as he neared his destination.

It was late, nearly midnight, and the house was dark and silent as a grave. This unnerved Ibiki when not much else ever could. He had seen a lot, been through a lot, and could stand up to and face anything. Anything, that was, besides the wrath of his currently temperamental lover.

The tokubetsu didn't know if it was the fact he loved the other man, if it was because he knew he was a force with which Ibiki could not contend, or if it was something else entirely. Uchiha Itachi simply had him wrapped around his little finger, and there didn't seem to be anything he could do about it, anything he wanted to do about it.

Moving silently through the house, his senses were on overdrive. Itachi was ANBU, more skilled than most, if not all the rest. He could be anywhere lying in wait to do anything.

Things hadn't always been like this. He hadn't always had to practically walk on egg shells around the much younger man. But, the last few months… Everything had changed.

The large man paused in the kitchen, making note that many of the dishes were dirty and the faint scent of something burnt still in the air. It all served as one more reminder of how upset Itachi likely was. Not every day did Uchiha Itachi cook anything, let alone a special, large, romantic meal.

Ibiki felt really bad about being late. He had made a promise, had sworn he would be home. The hokage sending him on a last minute mission, truth or not, wasn't likely to appease his lover, especially if he was in one of his more frequent bad moods.

He again paused as he passed the table and saw the cold meal and burnt out candles. A feeling of foreboding washed over him at that moment, and he slowly turned around. He swallowed and gave a shaky, small smile when he found Itachi giving him a stare, blank and a little eerie.

"You're late," was all he said, and Ibiki swallowed again. He had no way of knowing what mood his younger lover was truly in, even with his gift for reading people.

"Mission," was the only 'intelligent' response he could think to give. He could have smacked himself for it when Itachi's eyes narrowed so imperceptively he almost didn't notice.

The smaller man walked up to him and looked him straight in the eye. Even without being red, they still held a very hard, dangerous edge. Ibiki forced himself not to fidget, reminding himself of who he was. He was not a man to be intimidated or backed into a corner. But, no matter how often he told himself that, it never seemed to work with Itachi. Despite him being younger, smaller, and… delicate.

Ibiki swallowed as Itachi narrowed his eyes, as if reading his very thoughts. This time the action was clear. "You promised, Ibiki." The tone was cool, unemotional but for a slight waver of some undetermined emotion at the end. The large man hid a frown as he tried to determine what it was.

"I know, and I did my best." Itachi had to believe that! Not only because Ibiki didn't want him upset with him, but because his pride demanded it. A man of honor, he kept his oaths, promises no matter what. It was a sign of his unwavering loyalty, and in Itachi's case love and devotion. It just so happened that, as a ninja, his oath to Konoha was stronger than a promised dinner, as much as he'd rather it be the other way around.

It was then that he heard it, as Itachi turned away in what he assumed, at first, to be anger; a nearly inaudible sniff. He'd made his lover cry. He'd never done that before, and he really wasn't sure how to handle it. Itachi got pissed, he didn't get… depressed.

Going from observations of others, he reached out and tugged the sniffing Uchiha into his arms. Itachi would snuggled in, brush him off, or hit him; but he felt he had to try to make this better. When all Itachi did was stand there stiffly, he nuzzled into long ebony tresses and kissed the younger man's head. "I really am sorry. I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"You should have taken the day off," Itachi spoke quietly. "I did last month." Which was true, but there also wasn't a chance of the Uchiha getting pulled off desk duty for a mission. The point was somewhat lacking.

Ibiki had never seen the point of Valentine's Day or White Day, especially when neither ever held much relevance toward him. No one ever bought or made him anything, and he never had to return to favor. This was his first year observing the 'holidays,’ and he'd screwed it up. A blow to his pride, but one easily overlooked. Unlike the way it made him upset he'd hurt his lover.

He and Itachi had been working closely for a while, a way to keep an eye on the other in case he held any ill-will after returning to the village. After some time, and feeling the other strain to watch him, he'd asked Itachi why his eyes followed him. He'd never seen the other man blush before, even if he'd barely caught it as it was. That had led to dinner and finally them moving in together. There anniversary was the beginning of spring, appropriate for new beginnings Itachi had said. He had to agree.

Neither of them had put much thought into romantic holidays until Genma had cheekily asked which one of them was going to be the woman on Valentine's Day. Given Itachi's effeminate appearance, and the fact that he was in a delicate condition, the question had proved to incite a rather violent response from the younger man. It had also left Ibiki with the role of 'woman.’ He had given his lover as romantic an evening in bed as he could, and had even made him chocolates, swearing the Uchiha to secrecy about the fact that he could make them. Itachi had readily agreed, stating he didn't want to share.

For White Day, it had been decided by Itachi that they'd have a dinner he'd prepare himself. The rest of the evening, he said, would be a surprise. Ibiki had a feeling, now that he'd missed dinner, there wouldn't be anything else. He couldn't blame Itachi for that, and he wasn't really worried about not having anything else happen.

"Why don't I run you a bath, and I'll clean all of this up? After, I'll rub your feet." He smiled at his smaller lover, hoping it would appease him at least a little.

Itachi seemed to think about it for a while then nodded, easing away from Ibiki. He wiped his face, though there wasn't any real need. Resting a hand on his stomach, he offered the barest of smiles. Ibiki leaned in and kissed him softly, putting his own hand over Itachi's.

The reason Itachi was so emotional, temperamental… An anomaly that no one had been able to explain to them as of yet. It had been just after Christmas when Itachi had begun… acting different. At first, it was really small things: an occasional reaction to a smell, sometimes that Ibiki couldn't even detect himself; the rare snap to irritations; or the rarer outburst of laughter, those had been the most eerie occurrences.

Once he started having sickness and aches, it was decided he'd visit the hospital to see what was wrong with him. It had been a fight to get him to go, and there'd been a close call with a flying kunai, but Ibiki had gotten his lover there. In the end, he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not, finding out what was wrong with his lover.

In fact, he still didn't remember what happened right after the Hokage herself told them what was wrong. The first thing he remembered was pain in his groin and his skull as he woke up on the floor with a very pissed off Itachi standing over him. He'd never looked more dangerous, or sexier. He remembered wondering to his own sanity right then, before he'd had to try to sooth Itachi's ruffled feathers. Tsunade had found it all very amusing.

They had only a couple more months, and then they would be fathers. It was nearly traumatizing to think about. He didn't feel prepared, at all, even though he knew they'd painstakingly done any and all things that needed to be done.

Patting hand and tummy, Ibiki left Itachi there long enough to go into the master bath and see to running a relaxing, warm bath. He lit the candles and incense he knew his lover liked best then added just a few drops of Itachi's favorite oil to the water. As the tub filled, he returned to his lover and guided him to the bathroom, slowly disrobing him.

Itachi hadn't been able to get in the bath on his own in a while, and the sigh of bliss he issued as Ibiki helped him into the water told the older man how much his lover had been yearning for a bath. No doubt his muscles were sore from standing and cooking.

Itachi closed his eyes and eased back in the water, ignoring his lover in favor of savoring his bath. Ibiki smiled to himself and left him to it. He had a kitchen and dining area to clean up.

Seeing all that Itachi had made, all the effort he'd put forth, made Ibiki feel even worse about missing the dinner. He knew Itachi wasn't the type of man to do these sorts of things, and in his current condition doing so was more difficult on him. It all made Ibiki feel like mud. He was going to have to take a vacation and properly show Itachi he loved him, and soon or else they'd be too busy with the baby to enjoy any free time.

Working quickly, he cleaned the mess in record time. He wanted to have it done before Itachi would want out of the bath, if he hadn't fallen asleep like he'd become prone to doing. Still, he couldn't let him soak in there too long, so he did what couldn't wait and stacked the rest to take care of the next day.

When he returned to Itachi, he found him asleep like he figured he would. He smiled to himself at the picture the Uchiha made with his head, shoulders, and top of his stomach the only things not submerged in the water. He hated to disturb him, but the water had grown cold, and he didn't want him to catch a chill. With patience and skills from being a ninja, he careful lifted the smaller man from the water without waking him. A feat he'd not been able to do before the pregnancy.

Itachi didn't even wake as Ibiki dried him and dressed him in loose lounge pants, before slipping him into bed and tucking him in. The older man knew he had to be worn out if all the jostling around didn't rouse him. He could only hope Itachi was in a forgiving mood when he woke up, or else it was going to be a long while before he had any peace; not that he didn't deserve some grief, but an angry Itachi rivaled even an angry Tsunade.

Blowing out the candles in the bath and changing his clothes, Ibiki got into bed with Itachi and pulled him into his arms. White Day certainly hadn't gone the way they'd planned; but, really, all he needed was the gift of Itachi and the little one inside of him. They were the most precious gifts in the world. Come morning, he'd make sure Itachi was aware of that.


End file.
